Method of registering multicolor printing plates



METHOD OF REGISTERING MULTICOLOR PRINTING PLATES 7 Filed Nov. is, 1948 Jan. 1, 1952 R. R. MYERS, JR

2 SHEETSSHEET l ffomiz eg Jan. 1, 1952 2,580,576

METHOD OF REGISTERING MULTICOLOR PRINTING PLATES Filed Nov. 15, 1948 R. R. 'MYERS, JR

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 f2 fmzezziaz 05w W? em J25 V5 7 Harry e3 Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Mernon or REGISTERING MULTICQLOR PRINTING PLATES Robert R. Myers, J r., Des Moines, Iowa Application November 15, 1948, Serial No. 60,072

6 Claims. (01. 101-211) The principal object of my invention is t DIO- vide a means whereby a plurality of diiierent color printing plates for use on a rotary press may be easily, quickly and accurately registered with each other.

A further object of this invention isto provide an accurate means for registering a plurality of different color printing plates that may be accomplished by a workman not of special skill qualifications.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a means for quickly registering a plurality of colored printing plates that is economical and a time saver.

These and other objects will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the obl'gC scontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set iorth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view oi one form of my means ready to be placed around the eylinder of a rotary printing press.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view oi a number of my devices on a rotary press printing cylinder in diiferent stages of progress to illustrate the man,- ner in which they are used in the registering of multi-color printing plates.

Fig. 3 is an end view of a press illustrating the arrangement of the various color cylinder rollers to the compressioncylinder.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one form of my means.

Fig. 5 is a front view of my preferred means mounted on a printing cylinder.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of my preferred means ready to be placed on a printing cylinder and taken on line 6,- 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is an inside perspective view of my preferred means. a

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-view of a portion ,of my preferred means detachably mounted on ,a printing cylinder.

The most diflicult phase in multir color printing is the proper alignment and registering of the various color printing plates with each other so that the finished printed sheet will have the di-iferent color indicia at the proper places and there will be no objectionable overlap of colors nor characters. The usual procedure (when black is one of the colors) is to use the black impression as the basic one, and then move and adjust, progressively, the other color printing plates to register with the basic color and with each other. This is done mostly by trial and error, and it is obvious that much time,labor and materials are expended to even closely accomplish the proper registration of the plates. One reason is that the plates must be clamped securely on their cylinder presses, and to move theplate in anydirection, all the clamps must be first loosened and then readjusted and tightened. Even then, however, there is no assurance that the plate is in proper position and only a test printing run can determine whether or not the plate has been properly placed. Indeed, it would be almost an accident if it were in absolute alignment with the basic color plate. The most that can be hoped for is that the plates will be reasonably in registration with each other after much work and time has been expended. I have overcome such problems by providing a means that will immediately give an impression guide for the plates to be adjusted; such guide being an actual impression of a printing from the basic color plate.

Referring to the drawings, I have used the numeral I0 to generally designate the impression cylinder of a rotary press having the usual color rollers ll, [2, l3 and I4, The cylinder may be the black roller, the cylinder l2 the red roller, the cylinder I3 the blue roller and the cylinder 14 the yellow roller. Obviously, there may be other color rollers and not necessarily in the sequence above given. As is well known in such presses, when the finished printing takes place, a belt of paper extends around the cylinder l0 and between the cylinder l0 and the roller cylinders II, I2, l3 and I 4. The black cylinder roller l I will carry the black printing plates, the cylinder roller 12 will carry the red printing plates, etc. As is well known in the trade, these plates on the color cylinders are detachably adjustably mounted by movable clamp means not shown in the drawings.

It is to such rotary color presses that I apply my invention and I will first describe the means as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The numeral I5 designates the base sheet pad member or plate of my means. This sheet member may be made of anysuitable material such as cardboard, certain types of plastic metal or like. It however must be of a thickness substantially that of the printing plate. It is necessary that it either be precurved or flexible enough to wrap around a roller cylinder as shown in the drawings. Any suitable means may be used to fasten the sheet 15 onto and around-the cylinder. As an illustration, it may have its back coated with a suitable adhesive, or the usual plate holding clamps may be used, or it may be wrapped around the cylinder and secured with an adhesive tape I6. It must be held without slippage relative to the cylinder.

The front or outer face of the sheet pad 15 is treated with a suitable sticky substance such as rubber glue H for yieldingly holding a transparent sheet 18 thereon. This sheet l8 may be of any suitable material such as cellophane, or transparent or translucent paper. Obviously, this sheet 18 or any part of it may be raised from or torn from the backing sheet pad l5.

The practical operation of my means is as follows:

Withthe roller cylinder H as the basic color,

the black printing plates are secured thereon in the usual manner. No particular accuracy eX- cept page alignment is required as all the other plates will be registered to the black plate. Next, I secure a sheet pad l5 on the remainin color cylinders l2, l3 and M. The press is then 'run and the black cylinder II will depositthe black indicia onto the impression cylinder In. These cylinders are normally encased in a paper wrapping. Obviously, this black wet ink on the cylinder ID will in turn be deposited on the outer surface of the transparent sheet IS on each of the cylinders I2, [3 and M. As soon as these sheets i8 are properly iinpressedwith the black indicia 19 the press is stopped. The first step thereafter is to raise the transparent sheet [8 on the cylinder 12 at its area having the black indicia, and tear, cut or otherwise remove that portion of the sheet pad l5 below the raised area of its sheet l8, as shown in the drawings. This provides a place on the cylinder i2 for the red printing plate. Such plate 2!! is then placed on the cylinder 12 in the place of that portion of the pad [5 that has been removed. By lowering the transparent sheet I! with, the black impression on it over the red printing plate, one can see at a glance where the red printing plate is located relative to the black print impression. It then is a simple matter to' adjust and align the red printing plate sothat it registers perfectly with the black impression I 9 on the transparent sheet above it. Obviously, this easy aligning of the red printing plate will be accurate in all directions and angles, as one can easily see through the transparent sheet and observe the indicia on the red printing plate. Once the red printing plate is adjusted and fastened, the sheet [8 is torn off, or the entire sheet l5 may then be removed from the cylinder. In like manner, the remaining color cylinders are serviced and when completed, all the color printing plates will be accurately registering with each other. The same method is used in fiat plate multi-color printing. In presses, therefore, the flat plates are not rotatably mounted as in rotary presses; but in like manner the flat basic color plate is secured in place, and a flat pad l5 with its transparent sheet I8 is mounted in place of each of the other flat color plates. The impression roller is then picking up. ink from the basic color plate and depositing some of it onto each of the substitute pads, to form an offset or impression IS. The press is then stopped, and in the same manner as herebefore described, the sheet [8 of each of the pads is raised, and that portion of each of the pads thereunder removed, the respective flat printing plates substituted for those portions removed, the sheets lowered onto the plates, and the plates adjusted and secured accordingly.

' Fom the foregoing, it will be readily appreciated that the various color printing plates'need be only once adjusted and fastened to the press, and that thereafter the color printing will all be in proper and accurate registration. Furthermore, the first and only adjustment of each of the color printing plates will be easily and quickly accomplished.

In Figs. 5, 6, '7 and 8, I show my preferred means of using the transparent sheet I8. The principle is exactly the same as herebefore described. However, in these figures, I show the transparent sheet l8 secured along its leading end to a separate .pad plate 21, with its main v irea' from the press.

designed to extend over an independent pad plate '22:, By this a'rrangementg atter the basic color bers 2| and 22 may be of any suitable material.

If desired, they maybe pre-formed of metal, and used over and over again, with new transparent sheets. If they are made of metal or other hard substance, at least the member 22 should be covered with a resilient sheet 23 so that the transparent sheetwillinore readily take an ink impression'. Also thispreferred means provides an easy and'd'uick method of deta'chably securing the padplate sto theprinting cylinders. .Most all such printing cylinders have spaced apart spirallyextending grooves 24 'for receiving mechanical clamps for holding the printing plates to the cylinder. This. construction .is well known in the are" Such grooves each have two oppositely eigtending channels 25 in its sidewalls, as

shown iii FigIfB'IYI utilize these already present grooves-to detachablyjfasten my pad plates. On the" underside of 'my' pad plates I mount a series of spring staples. 26 fastened at, their bases by solder or like; These staples have two opposite= lyextending hump portions 21 in its two prong portions, as'shown in thedrawings. The'purpose of the two humps of each staple is'toenter and yieldingly engage the two side channels of a groove, as "shown" in 'I ig'.- 8.' By this" arrangement the pad'plates 2| and 22 will be capable of quick and easy' placement on and removal from the printing cylinder.

Some" changes may be made in the construe tion and arrangement of my method and means for registering multi-color printing plates with out departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

1. The method of registerin attachable and adjustable multi-color printing plates on rotary presses having a plurality of color cylinders and an impression cylinder common .with'said plurality of colorcylinders, comprising; .the placement of transparent sheet members onto some of the color cylinders of a rotary press prior .to the placement of ,the color printing plates thereon, the placement of one color printing plate on at least one of the color cylinders not having a transparent sheet member, the running of the rotary press to impress the color indicia ontoits' impression --cylinder, and thence onto the trans: parent sheet membersthe stopping of the press,- thelifting pfaportion of each of ,thetransparentsheet membersirom their color cylinders and the, placement ,oif, color printing plates 9n the color cylinders respectively, in such manner that they will properly register with the indicia on thetransparent sheet member above them, the rigid fastening of said last mentioned plates to their respectivecylinders, and lastly the removal of the transparent sheet members above said plates...

2. The method of registering attachable and adjustable-multi-color printing plates on rotary printing. presseshaving aplurality'of color cyl inders and an impression cylinder common with Said plurality ofcolor cylinders, comprisin the placement of a transparent sheet member onto one of the color cylinders of a rotary press prior to the placement of the color printing plate thereon, the placement of a color printing plate on a second color cylinder of said press, the running of said press to impress the color indicia onto its impression cylinder and thence onto the transparent sheet member, the stopping of the rotary press, the lifting of that portion of the transparent sheet that has indicia impressed thereon from sa d first cylinder, the placement of a different color printing plate on said first color cylinder and under the raised portion of said transparent sheet, the registering of said second color printing plate with the indicia on the transparent sheet above it, the fastening of said second pr nting plate to said first color cylinder, and the removal of said transparent sheet from above said second printing plate. I

3. The method of registering attachable and adjustable multi-color printing plates on rotary printing presses having a plurality of color cylinders and an impression cylinder common with said plurality of color cylinders, comprising; the placement of a sheet member having a thickness substantially that of a printing plate onto a color cylinder of a rotary press; said sheet member comprising a base sheet portion and a top transparent sheet portion, the placement of a color printing plate on a second color cylinder of the press, the running of the press to impress the color indicia onto its impression cylinder and thence onto the face of the transparent sheet portion, the stopping of the rotary press, the separating of that portion of the transparent sheet that has indicia impressed thereon from its base sheet portion, the removal of at least that portion of the base sheet portion below the indicia on the transparent sheet from the said first color cylinder. the placement of another color printing plate in the place of the base sheet portion removed, the registering of the last mentioned plate with the indicia on the transparent sheet above it, the rigid fastening of said last mentioned plate to its respective cylinder after it has been aligned with the indicia on the transparent sheet above itqand the removal of the transparent sheet from above said last mentioned printing plate.

4. The method of registering attachable and adjustable multi-color printing plates on a printing press having a plurality of color plate holders and an impression member common to all of said color plate holders, comprising; the securing of the basic color printing plate to one of the color plate holders of the printing press, the securing of a transparent sheet member to one of the other color plate holders of the press and in the place usually occupied by the secondary color printing plate, a plate member below said transparent sheet member having a thickness substantially that of said secondary color printing plate, the running of the press to indirectly transfer ink indicia from said basic color printing plate to said transparent sheet member, the stopping of the press, the removal of the plate memher from below said transparent sheet member, the placement of the secondary color printing plate below said transparent sheet member and registering it with the impressed indicia thereon, the fastening of said last mentioned printing plate to the press and then the removal of said transparent sheet member from the printing press.

5. The method of registering attachable and ill) adjustable multi-color printing plates on a printing press having a plurality of color plate holders and an impression member common to all of said color plate holders, comprising; the securing of the basic color printing plate to one of the color plate holders of the printing press, the securing of a transparent sheet member to one of the other color plate holders of the press and in the place usually occupied by the secondary color printing plate. a plate member below said transparent sheet member havin a thickness substantially that of said secondary color printing plate; said plate member having a resilient face adjacent said transparent sheet member, the running of the press to indirectly transfer ink indicia from said basic color printing plate to said transparent sheet member, the stopping of the press, the removal of the plate member from below said tran parent sheet member, the placement of the secondary color printing plate below said transparent sheet member and registering it with the impressed ind cia thereon, the fastening of said last mentioned printing plate to the press and then the removal of said transparent sheet mem- 1 her from the printing press.

6. The method of registering attachable and adjustable multicolor printing plates on a printing press having a plurality of color plate holders and an impression member common to all of said color plate holders, comprising; the securing of the basic color printing plate to one of the color plate holders of the printing press, the securing of a pad plate member to one of the other color plate holders of the printing press in the place of another color printing plate; said pad plate member having a thickness substantially that of the printing plate it has temporarily been substituted for and having a liftable transparent sheet portion on its top surface, the running of the press to indirectly transfer ink indicia from the basic color plate to the top surface of the transparent sheet of said pad plate, the stopping of the press, the lifting of at least that part of the transparent sheet having basic color indicia on it, the removal of at least a part of the pad plate portion below the raised port on of the transparent sheet, the placement of the secondary color printing plate below said transparent sheet and in the place originally occupied by that portion of the pad plate that has been removed, the lowering of the transparent sheet onto the secondary color printing plate, the adjustment and fastening to the press of the secondary color printin plate in alignment with the impressed indicia on its top surface, and the removal of said transparent sheet from above said secondary printing plate after it has been adjusted an fastened.

ROBERT R. MYERS, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 642,270 Smith Jan. 30, 1900 1,100,429 Greenway June 16, 1914 1,479,446 Bauer Jan. 1, 1924 1,583,825 Davis M'ayll, 1926 1,597,534 Meyer Aug'.;24,-1926 2,230,870 Noell .;Feb.',4,' 1941 2,231,187 Hawley Feb: 11, 1 941 2,250,266 Kaye ..,.;"Ju1y"22, i941 

